


Chance

by LovelyLittleGrim



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Asking Out, Bisexual Buck, Fluff, M/M, Nervous Josh, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:46:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23720305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovelyLittleGrim/pseuds/LovelyLittleGrim
Summary: Josh works up the nerve to take Maddie’s advice
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Josh Russo
Comments: 22
Kudos: 183





	Chance

Josh can count on one hand how many dates he’s actually enjoyed being on in his life. How many dates  _ he’s actually been on, _ however, is a rather large number and the ratio between good and bad is just downright depressing. 

“Just four,” Maddie says incredulously. “Men can not be that bad.” 

“We’re a gremlin gender, Maddie,” Josh says on a long sigh, “trust me, you were very lucky when you found Chimney.” 

He adores the soft little smile Maddie gets when she says, “Yeah, I was.” 

If there’s anyone in this world that deserves complete and total happiness, it is this woman before him. 

“He wouldn’t happen to have any brothers would he?” Josh asks jokingly. 

Maddie snorts. “As it turns out, he does, but he’s only nineteen and he seems fairly into the ladies.” 

“Well, we can’t all win,” Josh laughs and wraps an arm around her shoulder as they walk from the lounge towards their computers. 

“You know,” Maddie says slowly, steps coming to a halt. She has a thoughtful look on her face. “I have a brother.” 

Confused, Josh nods. “Yeah, I know.” 

“People love going on dates with him,” she continues, still just as slow and thoughtful. 

“Uhuh, Buck does seem like he’s good at the whole dating game,” Josh agrees easily. “Where’s this going?” 

She looks up at him suddenly, amused and excited all at once. ‘I think you should ask Buck on a date.” 

The bubble of laughter that bursts from him, makes him duck his head and cover his mouth. It’s too loud and sudden in the low murmur of workers. “You--what? You can’t be serious.”   
“Why not?” 

“ _ Maddie, _ ” he says seriously, “Buck isn’t gay.” 

“True,” she says elongating the word, “but he isn’t straight either.” 

Josh frowns a little. He hadn’t picked up on that at all. He knows Maddie had joked about it before at a few of their game nights but he hadn’t thought she was serious. 

“You want me-- _ me _ , to ask out Buck.” 

“Yeah, I think it would be good for both of you.” She nods decisively and then she’s slipping out from beneath his arm and heading for her seat. “Breaks over.” 

Josh stands there for several long seconds, gaping at her back. There’s no way she’s serious, but… she had sounded serious, even looked serious about the proposal. 

He thinks about it for the remaining four hours of work. Stresses about it, to be honest. He can’t imagine himself asking Buck out in any plane of existence and he can’t imagine Buck saying yes. It’s ridiculous.

“Stupid,” he mumbles to himself as he gathers his things from his locker and heads for the elevator. 

Maddie is working an hour longer than him today so he goes down alone and heads for his car with cautious eyes and hurried steps. Once he’s safely settled behind the wheel and all the doors are locked, he thinks about it some more. He’s not brave by any stretch but he’s not a coward, and he damn sure isn’t one to just dismiss chances. 

His fingers drum nervously on the steering wheel. He tries to imagine himself calling Buck, imagine how he would phrase it, what Buck would say back in response. If life has taught him anything though, it’s that reactions are hardly ever what you think they will be. 

Josh sucks in a deep breath and slips his phone from his pocket. “You can do this.” 

Dialing Buck’s number is made difficult by the nervous tremble of his fingers, but he gets it and then the quiet of his car is filled with the familiar sound of ringing. 

The phone picks up on the third ring. 

“Josh?” Buck’s voice sounds sleepy and alert all at once. “Hey, is everything okay?” 

Josh realizes that it’s late, sometime after midnight and he’s never actually just called Buck out of the blue before. He almost just hangs up but that would only worry Buck so he clears his throat and says, hurriedly, “Sorry, yeah, everything’s fine. Did I wake you?” 

“Yeah,” Buck says and Josh can hear the tension ease out of his tone, relief taking its place. “No worries, man, what’s up?” 

“Nothing, really, I just, uh--here’s the thing,” words just start to tumble from Josh’s mouth. “I called because I wanted to see--you can totally say no--but I… Would you like to go on a date with me?” 

“A date?” Buck says and Josh can tell that he’s surprised. “You want to go on a date with me?” 

“Yeah,” Josh breathes, body held so tight his muscles are starting to ache. 

There’s a pregnant pause in which he assumes Buck is thinking over how to turn him down. 

“Uh, Maddie…” Buck says at last, “does she know you're asking me out?” 

“It was her idea,” Josh says, understanding Buck’s hesitance when it comes to dating his sister's friend. If Josh had a sister he would be iffy on it too. Hell, he’s a little iffy on this but he knows that Buck is a good guy and he does have Maddie’s blessing in all of this. 

“Really?” he sounds surprised. “She said I wasn’t allowed to date you before. She likes you too much.”

“Yeah, I know” Josh laughs. “Apparently, she had a change of heart. Not sure if that means she hates me a little more than she had three weeks ago, though.” 

Buck snorts out a laugh and it makes Josh go warm when he says, “I doubt that she would ever hate you, Josh. She talks about you non-stop. You’re her best friend.” 

“She’s mine too,” Josh admits. “You’re sister is amazing, you’re lucky to have her.” 

“Yeah, I guess I am,” Buck agrees. 

“So?” Josh says after a beat and tries not to sound too hopeful. 

“So,” Buck repeats and the tone is teasing. “Yeah, a date with you sounds great.” 

Josh pumps one hand in the air and winces when his knuckles make contact with the roof of his car. “Cool,” he says. “Great. Are you busy this saturday night?” 

There’s a rustle of fabric, like Buck is laying back down in bed. “I’m free.”

Josh smiles. “Okay. How about 8? I can pick you up?” 

“Yeah. I’ll be waiting.” Buck says. 

Josh tells him goodnight and then hangs up the phone. He tosses it into the passenger seat of his car, exhilarated. He tries not to smile like a maniac, but his lips don’t seem to care. He has a date. 

**Author's Note:**

> [My Tumblr](https://lovelylittlegrim.tumblr.com)


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